Generally, a folder is set on a terminal device, for example, on a user interface of a smartphone or a computer, and a user may manage an application or a file by using the folder. When the user needs to open a file in the folder, the user can view an icon of the target file only by first clicking or tapping an icon of the folder to open the folder, and then can open the target file only by finding the icon of the target file and clicking the icon of the target file. The file herein includes an application on the terminal device. That is, in the prior art, to open a file in a folder, a terminal can open the target file only by first obtaining an operation of clicking the folder by the user to open the folder, and then obtaining operations of selecting and opening the target file. Therefore, when a folder is not opened, the user cannot directly view a target file in the folder by using the prior art, and cannot directly open the target file.